Although Demi Lovato made her Disney debut in the series As The Bell Rings back in 2007, she transformed into a real-life Disney princess on Wednesday (April 13) by performing a medley of hits in her Los Angeles backyard for a crowd of adoring woodland creatures in her Tiny Desk (Home) Concert for NPR.
Lovato effortlessly sang a collection of past and present fan favorites that included her soulful 2017 single “Tell Me You Love Me,” as well as newly released tracks “The Art of Starting Over” and “Dancing With the Devil,” both of which feature as the title tracks on her seventh album, which was released on April 2.
Though the performance was socially distant, a few furry attendees got to witness the powerful set in its entirety. “My squirrels are out here,” she said. “I have now taught them how to eat from my hand, and that’s a big accomplishment so I just wanted to let you know that was on my mind.”
Back in March, Lovato released an honest, unflinching four-part documentary series on YouTube titled Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil that detailed her 2018 near-fatal overdose, battles with addiction and eating disorders, and her personal recovery journey. She followed the series with the release of her seventh album Dancing With the Devil … The Art of Starting Over, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart this week.
Lovato told Entertainment Weekly that it was pivotal for her to tell her story in the most honest and accurate way possible on the album, even if it was daunting. “If I’m painting a picture as an artist, telling my truth is so important to me,” she said. “I don’t censor my substance use in ‘Dancing With the Devil.’ I don’t hold back from that, so I don’t want to hold back from any other place in my authenticity, you know?”
